Breaking Free
by horse-crazy girl13
Summary: When Sue finally takes it too far, Annabeth ends up in the hospital with a coma. And when she comes out, she struggles constantly with flashbacks. Rachel, Percy and Nico have daddy problems of their own as well. Calypso has a secret, and Drew is as evil as ever. Will all these problems bring the group of friends closer or apart? What will it take for them to break free from it all?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Guess whose back?! ME! Lol, sorry, I'm a little crazy. I simply cannot believe the response I got for Cinderella! I'm not ashamed to say that I literally started crying when I hit the 'complete' button. I think I moped for hours until my friend (Chubbypandaz) took me to the movies and we watched 'Host' which isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Is it weird? YES! But it's by far better than Twilight. Wait, why am I talking (or typing) about this? No idea! Here's your first chapter to the sequel! I seriously hope it's not disappointing! Please REVIEW! ;)**

**Disclaimer: Percy Jackon is all mine! *SOB* ...no he's not... IT'S NOT FAIR!**

**HAPPY READING!**

* * *

**Annabeth**

"Annabeth, if you don't get your Bird Brain out of that book right now, I swear I will throw it across the room and right into that fireplace!"

I sighed dramatically. Guess who that was? Thalia. Of course. I feigned a hurt look.

"You wouldn't!" I exclaimed, only half-faking an appalled look. She looked back at me, dead serious.

"Try me," she challenged. I rolled my eyes.

"I'd rather not take my chances."

She gasped. "Are you, Annabeth Chase, actually _conceding?! _So those therapy sessions _have _been working!"

"No, I am not conc - wait. Therapy sessions?! I do not take therapy, nor will I ever," I retorted. She shrugged.

"Therapy, making out with Percy, same difference. And may I add that no one has said 'nor' in, like, the past 53 bajillion years?"

"I don't make out with Percy!" I said indignantly. "And people do say 'nor'!" She raised her eyebrows.

"Interesting theory. So what do you call shoving your tongue in his mouth every two seconds, then? And only dorks say 'nor'." I glared at her.

"Thalia Grace, I swear one day I am going to - "

"Be blinded from my stunning beauty? Die because my awesomeness is just too much for you to handle? I know, you don't have to tell me."

"Keep dreaming. Somebody's feeling egotistical today," I commented. Thalia clasped her hands over her ears dramatically.

"The SAT isn't for another few years! No need to start up with the big words - they hurt. And besides, I bet you can't even spell 'egostitical' or whatever the word was."

I snorted. "That's rich coming from the girl who can't even _say _it, much less _spell _it."

"Whatever. We can't all be mini Einsteins."

"Anywho, when's Piper and them supposed to get here?" I asked.

I was hanging out with the Grace's. We were waiting on Piper to pick us up to go Christmas shopping. I had been holding it off forever. Normally, I wouldn't be caught dead at the mall, but I didn't have much of a choice unless I was going to buy everyone chocolate bars from Wal-Mart.

"Any minute now," Thalia said, checking her wrist. I laughed; she was wearing one of those candy bracelets with the candy watch face.

"You do realize that's candy, right?" I remarked. She looked shocked; she face palmed.

"Oh, _that's _why it's been two thirty for the last three hours! It makes so much more sense now!" she joked. I shook my head. Thalia could be so childish. Well, to be fair, I could be, too.

"You're hopeless. Anywho, what should I get Percy for Christmas? I have absolutely no idea what would be good enough for him."

Thalia, tapped her chin dramatically, thinking.

I had been dwelling on this issue forever. I mean, I couldn't just get him a T-shirt or Hershey's bar. Though, come to think of it, he would probably like both. But I knew neither would suffice. I wanted to get him something that would tell him that I loved him, despite how cheesy that sounds.

"I know!" Thalia exclaimed, eyes bright. I looked up hopefully, wondering if she had actually come up with a valid idea for once.

"You should totally get him the movie _Finding Nemo! _I saw this commercial, and they made a Blu-ray 3D version of it! It even comes with glasses!" she added, nodding enthusiastically.

No such luck. I face-palmed, because something in Thalia's expression told me that she really truly thought her idea was a good one.

"Thalia, I cannot get him _Finding Nemo. _That's just weird, and so unromantic," I said, horrified at my practically saying that I wanted to get him something _romantic._

She snorted. "Annabeth, you couldn't be romantic if someone forced you to be. And who cares about romantic? The movie completely fits! You know, with Percy being a complete Seaweed Brain and all. You could write him a card to go with it that says something like, '_Dear my beloved Seaweed Brain, Merry Christmas! I hope you like your present; represents how alike you and Nemo are - you're both idiots! Which is why I love you so, so much! All my love, Annabeth x._' I could see it now!"

I put on a horrified look. "I would never _ever _sign my name with a little 'x' thingy at the end!"

She chuckled. "Whatever. I was just trying to help," she pouted.

"Yes, well, I think I'll manage, thank you." I started to take a sip of hot apple cider.

"You know, I don't know why you're so against getting him the movie. I mean, I'm getting Nico a shirt with the Raisin Bran sun on it. And the shirt reads 'Let it Shine!'."

I choked, spitting half of the cider back into the cup. I started hacking uncontrollably. The idea of Nico wearing a shirt that says 'Let it Shine' was just so extremely laughable and nearly impossible that I just couldn't help it.

Thalia patted - well, more like punched - me in the back helpfully.

"Y-you're j-joking right?" I croaked. She gave me a weird look.

"Of course not. Why would I be?"

I wanted to respond with, "Because you're you," but I kept my mouth shut.

The doorbell rang suddenly. I jumped up.

"I'll get it." I quickly strode over to the door. Piper, Hazel, Bianca, Juniper, and an uncertain-looking Rachel stood there. I could feel relief spreading on my face.

"Oh my gosh, bless you! Thank goodness you are finally here. Thalia was about to drive me insane!" They all laughed.

"I think she already did," Bianca teased lightly, walking in.

"I heard my name," Thalia said, lazily walking around the corner. I rolled my eyes.

"Of course you did. Come on, let's go and get this over with," I grumbled. Piper laughed.

"Jeez, Annabeth, you'd think we were asking you to go somewhere terrible like a junkyard or school or something."

"Well, going to the mall is no spending the day with Sue, but I suppose I'll survive," I said. I hadn't thought before I spoke. The effect of my words were immediate. Thalia, rather than looking lazy and carefree, sat up, her eyes looking fierce. Everyone seemed tense.

"Oh. Sorry guys. Too soon for jokes?" They all nodded tightly.

"Annabeth, it's not really something to joke about at all," Hazel said quietly. I looked down.

"Sorry. I know. I guess I just wasn't thinking." Thalia gasped loudly. We all looked at her.

"_Annabeth Chase wasn't thinking?! _That's, like... like... I can't even find a word to describe it!" And just like that the tension was gone. I shook my head in wonder at Thalia. You could always trust her to lighten everyone up. Soon we were all headed out to the van, Thalia and I arguing over who gets shot-gun, until we realized Bianca was already there.

Rachel sat next to me in the back, with Hazel sitting on the right and Thalia sitting with Juniper in the middle seat, and Piper driving with Bianca in the shot-gun.

We cranked up the radio, and, for once, I could almost feel like a normal teenage girl going to the mall with her friends, instead the girl with an abusive step-mom who wants to kill her, an enemy who happens to be her step-sister, a dead mom, and trust issues.

But, I reminded myself, despite the bad things, I had the greatest friends ever, I finally had a functional relationship with my dad, and, of course, my superb, completely perfect boyfriend, Percy Jackson.

And as I sat in the van laughing myself breathless, I forgot about all the unfortunate things and thought of only the good ones. How could my life get any better than this?

Answer: it doesn't.

It only got worse.

* * *

**Hm... I'm not even going to state my opinion of this chapter. I tried! I've had major writer's block. Anywho, Cinderella started off really sad and dark, so I thought I would try to do a light, happy beginning, especially since it's almost Christmas (in the story). I have no idea how I managed over a thousand words yet absolutely nothing happened. That's some feat. I promise I'll get the story moving in the next chapter. Don't kill me! Oh, and sorry that it was so short, but the beginnings to my stories are always short. **

**I may not update as frequently as I did Cinderella. I'd really love to work on In My Shoes, Just A Mask, Letting Go, and possible Just Around the Corner some. Plus, I have huge exams that determine whether I can go on the next grade coming up. *gulp* I'ma fail math. Oh, and I've decided that this story is gonna have a lot more of Rachel and Nico (not together!) in it, as well as the other characters.**

**I will try so hard to get the next chapter out soon, but just bear with me! I love you guys so much! And please review! Even if you're a guest! Please?**


	2. Chapter 2

**HELLO, YOU MARVELOUS, MAGNIFICENT, and BEYOND LOVELY PEOPLE! I am speechless at the amount of support I got! THANK YOU! I'm sorry that I've been inactive on my account for the last few days. I had my second exam today. I've taken my Reading and English/Language Arts exams. :/ But I think writing on fanfiction has helped me so much. I still have three more exams to go... Math tomorrow... *SOB* I'm having a very creepy internal battle that's going something like this: You're going to fail. No, you're gonna pass. Fail. Pass. FAIL! Oh, gods... I belong in a mental hospital. Okay, let me stop my pointless rambling and get on to the chapter!**

**Shout outs: **AnnabethandPercyJackson17, Hoorayforcheese, ThatGirlIntheBack, Meghan Thalia Jackson, Alturial, , Belgrath, TheRedLioness, blankslate37, Bookwormgirl3, lilymellark101, Bluestar4ever, MadeOfMagic, Victoria-Hunter-Of-Artemis, Annabeth luvs Percy, liongirl21, hey. it's. moi, Finding Adventures, xXxJaceInWonderlandxXx, jedikhaleesi, flabbergastedbaboom, whackadoodle100, District9and3-4, Titpoil, Athena grl huntress, Guest, annabethjackson1, DIFFERENT AND PROUD OF IT, XxbethamphetaminexX, NerdyOwlLover, SingingFroggy, foreverfanfiction, northstarwarriorqueen, OwlAsh, Sophia Child of Wisdom, MistFloo, Stephenlongboard, cuty3, time is taking its sweet time, ElmoDaHorse, Guest SCotaku (twice), HunterofartemisdaughterofZeus, Atlanta Hermera Kane, liz-king97, Guest, Percabethlvrknowsall, Chloejones9327, Angel-of-the-Seas, TheFactionlessDemigod, Guest, Guest, QuidditchOlympianIvy DiAngelo, Guest, Guest, i dream of faraway places, B the first, The One and Only Saint Jimmy, BcozYou'reMyFriendSeaweedBrain, coutara, 99hoplite

**And, of course, THANK YOU for 127 freakin' follows and 69 favs! **

**HAPPY READING!**

* * *

**Percy**

"Nico, I am not going to waste my money so that you can buy a Happy Meal! How many times do I have to tell you that you can't raise the dead with Happy Meals? Wait, who am I kidding? You can't raise the dead _at all,_" I told Nico firmly.

He scowled at me. "That's what you think. But I'm telling you that it works!"

I sighed, deciding to give up. But Leo wouldn't let it go.

"So you're really expecting us to believe that when you were walking through a graveyard the other day - because who doesn't walk through graveyards during their free time? - a ghost popped out of nowhere and demanded a McDonald's Happy Meal?" Leo asked skeptically.

"Why shouldn't you believe me? I've always told the truth," Nico protested. I snorted.

"Of course you have," I said sarcastically. He missed the sarcasm, his eyes lighting up.

"So you'll give me the money?"

I groaned. "No! Besides, who are you going to try it on anyway?"

He shrugged. "Probably my grandma or some random person." Grover gaped at him.

"Dude, do you have any idea what that could do to our environment?! What if a squirrel ate the fries and died?"

"Who cares about the squirrels? I'm still trying to figure out why you'd want to raise your grandmother from the dead," Leo said, shuddering. "As far as I'm concerned, my grandma is dead and can stay that way. I think the kindest memory I have of her is her saying, 'Valdez, I swear, one day you are going to be the death of me! And I mean literally!'" Leo mocked in a hideously high-pitched, strangled-sounding voice.

"Leo! That's a horrible thing to say! I hope you do realize that some of us love our grandparents," I remarked.

"Hm... Incidently, she had a heart attack on my birthday. It was right after I had bust the pinata open, and I went into a sugar rush. I kinda had a candy frenzy and started yelling and screaming with pure joy. And then Grandmother died. It turned out to be one sucky good birthday," he said dreamily, a reminiscent look in his eyes.

"Leo, you are just... just... you know what, I can't even begin to describe how horrible you are," I told him.

"Well, I do try my hardest, Mr. Jackson," looking pleased with himself. I just scowled at him.

"Will someone just give me the damn money?!" Nico put in.

"NO!" we all yelled at him.

"Gods, Nico, you are so stupid!" Leo added. I rolled my eyes. This could get annoying.

"Haha, that coming from the kid who believes that demigods and turkey vultures exist!" Nico retorted.

"That's because they do."

I sighed and turned to Grover, tuning them out.

"So when are Frank and Jason supposed to get here? I need to get out of here - quick." He checked his watch.

"Right about now," he said, right as the doorbell rang. "Nice timing," he added.

I groaned. We were going to the mall for Christmas shopping. Nico referred to it as the 'Masculine Store for Super Cool Guys With Swag', but we all knew the sad truth of it. To say that you're going to the mall makes you sound like a girl. And I saw the mall as a place where girls go to giggle, flirt with guys, and kill everyone with their perfume. Not my kind of place.

I got up and went to the door, opening it.

"Where have you guys been? It's been absolute torture!" I exclaimed dramatically.

"Okay, Perce, calm down! We are right on time. We would have been here earlier, except Frank forgot his purse, so we had to turn around because it holds all his money," Jason explained.

I snorted. "You have a _purse?_" I asked Frank incredulously. His face reddened.

"Did I just hear the word 'purse' coming from you, Perce?" Leo asked, walking into the room with Nico and Grover trailing behind.

"Only because Frank has one," I replied, trying to hold in laughter. Leo and Nico froze staring at Frank.

"No way!" they exclaimed at once. Uh oh. As Franks face reddened, I felt a pang of guilt. Poor guy. He was in for it bad.

"My grandma got it for me a long time ago. She gets all happy when I use it..." he shrugged hopelessly. Aw, a grandma's boy. I glared pointedly at Leo.

"Are you taking notes?" I asked, glaring at him.

"On what?" he asked innocently. I just shook my head.

"Come on, guys, let's get this over with."

Grover laughed. "Jeez, Perce, you'd think we were asking you to hold up the sky or something. We're just going to the _mall - "_

"The Masculine Store for Super Cool Guys With Swag!" I corrected in a hiss. Leo and Jason cracked up.

"Nice bro. I can't believe you actually used Nico's stupid title thingy," Leo said. Nico pouted.

"It is not stupid!" he protested. I rolled my eyes and groaned. Not again. We all headed out the door, with Nico and Leo bickering behind us. I sat up front while Grover sat in the middle with Frank, who was hiding something behind his bag. Nico ad Leo sat in the very back, playing thumb war.

Jason turned the music on loud, and we all talked and laughed. My mind drifted to the last couple of weeks. Everything had just been so crazy - finding out about Annabeth being abused, being falsly accused of cheating, sleepless nights spent worrying about my girlfriend. It seemed like the world was an ongoing treadmill, and it was only now slowing down so I could catch my breath.

It was a relief. Somewhere in the back of my head, my a voice said, _Don't get too comfortable. The world's against you._

The other part of me said, _Oh screw it! Just let me relax and have a good time for once. And gee, thanks for the words of comfort._

And the last part said, _Holy crap, Perce, stop talking to yourself! You've gone crazy man!_

I shook my head violently, and looked around me, as though I was afraid that someone had overheard me. Then I relaxed back into my seat.

What will come, will come and I just need to accept it when it comes. And if I were to get lucky, there wouldn't be anything to accept except for a happily ever after with Annabeth. I nearly snorted aloud at the thought. I forgot, the world's against me.

So, of course, I got no such luck.

* * *

**Annabeth**

"Ugh, I just don't know!" I growled, frustrated. I was standing with Piper, Bianca, Rachel, Juniper and Hazel in the dressing rooms, brainstorming ideas for what to get Percy.

"Maybe you should just not think about it for awhile. Just wander around the mall - something's bound to come up that would be good for him," Piper said, scanning the price on the dress she had picked out.

"I should have done this way earlier! Christmas Eve is in two freaking days! What if I don't have a gift for Percy and he has one for me? Do you have any idea how embarressing that would be?!" I said, starting to lose my cool.

Hazel, sensing this, stepped forward and put a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, calm down. You're putting all of this way out of perspective. I'll tell you what; after we're finished up here, we'll go find Thalia and we can all go around and look for something for Percy, and at the same time, do our Christmas shopping. Sound good?"

I smiled at her gratefully and nodded. After Piper paid for her dress, we all went out in search of Thalia. The second she had gotten drift of our plan to go to the clothing shop, she had fled. And seeing as she wasn't being any help when it came to the Percy issue, I just tagged along with Piper and Hazel and them.

I guess now I was paying the consequences. We checked all over, but couldn't find her in any of the stores. We didn't even bother checking in the clothing departments - Thalia would rather die than go in one of those.

"Jeez, where could she possibly be?" Piper exclaimed for the millionth time after checking the food court. I sighed.

"Did you try calling her phone?"

"Yeah, but I think it's dead. It keeps going to her answering machine. _'Hi, this is Thalia! I couldn't care less what you have to say, so don't bother trying to leave a message, and I probably won't care enough to get back to you as soon as I can. No thanks to you, and have a miserable day. Death to Barbie and peace out!'_" Piper said, imitating her voice perfectly.

I laughed; I'd been trying to get Thalia to change her voicemail to something nicer for the past couple of weeks, but I'd almost say that Thalia was proud of her rudeness.

We walked into a small shop that had a bunch of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian stuff. I couldn't help but go in. Immediately, I was drawn to the shelf of architecture books and I started flipping through the first one that my hands could grab.

"Hey, Annabeth, come look at these!" Bianca called enthusiastically. I walked over to where she was looking at some weird T-shirts with Greek symbols on them.

I found the one for Athena. It had a owl's head on it, with sharp eyes that looked like they could actually see you. I quickly stuffed it to the back of the rack.

"Hm, I think my mom would like the Hades one," she said somewhat sadly. Immediately, I felt bad. I had been so caught up in my life lately, that I had comepletely forgotten that I wasn't the only one with family problems. Nico and Bianca's mom had almost been killed by their cousin's dad for who knows what reason. She was still in the hospital, and it was uncertain still as to whether she would make it or not.

I put my hand on her shoulder and squeezed it, trying my best to comfort me as she had done for me the past couple of days.

"I'm sure she'll love it," I reassured her. She gave me a wobbly smile, and I frowned, making a mental note to keep an eye on her.

I picked a book and went over to the counter to pay for it. At the register, there was a cup full of pens with Greek writing on them. I picked one up. It read, _Anaklusmos._

"_Anaklusmos_? What does that mean?" I asked. The lady peered at the word and smiled.

"It means Riptide," she said kindly. Hm, it sounded kinda catchy. I threw it in with the book. I didn't really need it, but I figured it was kind of cool.

We left the store and continued our search for Thalia. We were right outside Build-A-Bear Workshop when a familiar voice reached my ears.

"Just please hold it for one second!" the voice whined.

"Frank, I refuse to even touch a _purse _that is tie-dyed and says _Hug the World. _I absolutely refuse!"

I turned around and found myself face to face with Frank, Jason, and the rest of the gang... including Percy. My eyes widened.

"Percy? What are you doing here?" I asked, just as he said, "Annabeth? What are you doing here?"

We both shrugged. "Christmas shopping. What about you?" we asked in unison.

We both just shrugged again.

"Aw, that's so cute! You're even talking at the same time!" Piper teased.

"Oh, shut up!" Percy and I responded. Then, realizing how ridiculous we sounded, we looked at each other and laughed.

"I never thought I would see the great Percy Jackson at the mall," I told him.

"I never thought I would see the nerdy Annabeth Chase at the mall," he countered. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, what a great way to make me seem awesome. Anywho, have you seen Thalia? We've been looking for her everywhere."

"No, not at all. Check all the food places?" he asked. I laughed and shook my head. He knew Thalia so well.

"MOVE IT, TWERP!" I spun around, looking for the source of the voice.

"Um, guys... I think we just found her," Grover said hesitantly, pointing into the Build-A-Bear place. And, of course, there she was. She was towering over some little boy, holding a stuffed... bunny in her hand... Oh my gosh.

The kid had tears streaming down him face, and I saw a security guy start to walk over to them, along with an angry parent. Uh oh.

I glanced at Hazel, and she nodded. We both ran forward, and started to pull Thalia away.

"Thalia, what the heck? Calm down!"

"Don't 'calm down' me, Annabeth Chase!" she retorted, not moving an inch.

"What happened?" Hazel asked her calmly.

"This little squirt," she said venomously, jabbing her finger in the kid's direction, "cut me in line!" I could have face palmed. You have got to be kidding me.

"Thalia, let's go. It's not a big deal. Just let it go."

"No! I mean, where's the justice? What has this world come to?" I eyed the security guy, who had almost reached us. He looked vaguely familiar, though I couldn't figure out why that could be.

"Thalia, come on! _Now!_" I hissed. But it was too late. The guy and the parent had reached us.

"Ma'am, would you like to tell me what the problem is?" he asked sternly. Thalia didn't even blink an eye.

"That kid cut me in line," she stated. He looked at her incredulously. I can't say I blamed him.

"He's about six years old. Just calm down, and let the kid through."

"No! What is wrong with you people? You are a cop! I thought you guys are all about following the rules!" she exclaimed.

He gazed at her coolly.

"Well, rest assured that I know it's against the rules to go around terrorizing little kids. Now, can I ask you to leave, or will I have to force you?"

Thalia looked like she was about to explode.

"Don't think I don't remember you, mister. I'll be back one day," she said dramatically. I think he actually gulped. And with that, Thalia threw the bunny at him and walked out, Hazel and I following her hastily.

Everyone was staring at us.

"What are you looking at?" Thalia snapped. They quickly turned away and resumed their shopping. She looked up and saw Percy.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked rudely.

"Well, hello to you, too," Nico said sarcastically.

And, of course, they started bickering yet again. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I reached in to pick it up.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Annabeth Chase where the fuck are you?"

I paled. Why, oh, why couldn't she just leave me alone?

"With my friends," I said, my voice an octave higher. I could see my friends stop talking and turn to me with concerned looks.

"You never asked me. Get home. Now." And then the line went dead.

I felt like throwing my phone onto the ground. I was shaking, not from fright, but from anger. How dare she ruin my one fun day out? I should have expected it. It's just the same old game all over again. I wondered if things would ever change.

Percy walked over to me, a slight crease between his eyes, and wrapped his arms around me.

"Annabeth, who was it?" he asked gently.

"Who do you think?" I asked in a bitter voice. "It was Sue."

* * *

**Eh, it'll have to do. I'm supposed to be asleep right now, but I felt so bad for making you wait so long. Please forgive me! And omg, Nico and Annabeth are NOT a pairing. Under my manage stories tab, I'm allowed to pick 4 main characters, but apparently only 2 show up. But the pairing is most definitely Percabeth. I only meant that there would be more of the other characters as well. Only 20 more school days, and then I can update all the time! YAY! I can't thank you guys enough for your support. Oh, and for those of you who don't know, this is a sequel to Cinderella. Thank you guys soooo much for being so patient Now, I must go or my mom will kill me if she catches me. PLEASE review! (Even if you're a guest! ;)**

**P.S. Excuse typos! No time to edit!  
P.P.S. Please vote on my poll if you haven't already! Thanks guys! Love ya!**


	3. Sick

**Wow. 107 reviews for two chapters?! Just wow. I will never ever be able to thank you guys enough! I couldn't be more excited! :) I had a pretty traumatizing weekend. I can't even... Just be prepared for a dark chapter. Thanks again, guys! **

**Shout outs: **PercyJacksonAddict, liongirl21, xXxJaceInWonderlandxXx, MadeOfMagic, bluecrystals00jasperjily, Finding Adventures, foreverfanfiction, ThatGirlIntheBack, liz-king97, MistFloo, ElmoDaHorse, Athena grl huntress, AshleyDaughterofApollo, Stephenlongboard, District9and3-4, SingingFroggy, YayPercabeth123 (guest), Bluestar4ever, NeonHedgehog, anniebethchase, flabbergastedbaboom, DIFFERENT AND PROUD OF IT, jedikhaleesi, percabethluver4evur, Don't Stop Beliving, XxbethamphetaminexX, Atlanta Hemera Kane, HunterofartemisdaughterofZeus, 99hoplite, Annabeth luvs Percy, Guest, Guest, The Cookie Monsta, Guest, StarryNights04, cuty3, Butterfly Bunny (guest), B the first, i dream of faraway places, hearttoread (guest), Guest, HungryOlympians

**To Guest (you know who you are): I meant that it showed up Annabeth and Nico, but as soon as people told me what had happened, I changed it, so that's why it doesn't show up anymore. :)**

**Happy Reading!**

* * *

**Annabeth**

As I rode home with Percy and Thalia (we all switched cars), I felt a strange sense of calmness. Maybe it was having my two best friends at my side, or maybe it was just that I wasn't scared or didn't even care anymore. Or perhaps after being a danger to myself, other people don't scare me so much. Whatever the case, I was more calm than Percy, who looked like he was going to have an anxiety attack or stroke.

His hands clutched the wheel tightly, and he drove annoyingly slow. I reached over and rested a hand on his leg.

"Percy, calm down. Everything is going to be okay. Seriously, it's almost Christmas. Relax," I tried to console him, but my efforts were futile.

"Relax?! Annabeth, how am I supposed to relax when my girlfriend is about to walk into a death trap?"

I resisted the childish urge to roll my eyes.

"I am not walking into a death trap, Percy. Dad should be home soon, anyway. And so should the boys. I'm seriously not that scared."

He sent me a slightly puzzled look. "You should be," he muttered darkly.

"Gee, thanks for the encouragement, Mr. Sunshine," I said sarcastically. How I was able to joke around, I'm not sure, but I guess it was just my way of putting off the inevitable.

"Annabeth, Percy is right. I think we've already established that Sue is dangerous. At least let me come in with you," Thalia said. I groaned.

"No! She'd probably kill you, too! No," I repeated. "I'll be fine. I'm more upset that she ruined my fun evening," I added bitterly. Thalia shook her head at me.

"Only you would think that at a time like this. Have you at least called your dad?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said evasively.

"And?" she prompted.

"And what?" I asked. She rolled her eyes and tossed her hands into the air.

"Annabeth, don't be obtuse! Did he pick up? Is he on his way to the house?"

I gasped.

"Obtuse? Wow, Thals, your vocabulary is improving greatly. I'm so proud," I teased. But Thalia would have none of it.

"Quit avoiding the answer, or you'll see just how obtuse I can be when the police want to know if it was me who strangled you," she threatened darkly.

I sighed, resigning myself to the fact that I had no choice but to answer.

"No, he didn't pick up. His phone must be dead or something," I said quietly.

"Shit!" I heard Percy mutter, banging the steering wheel, making the horn honk loudly. I stared at him, surprised at his outburst.

"Listen, I know this may seem weird, but I'm really not that scared. I don't doubt what Sue can do - I'm the one whose had to experience it." A pained look crossed Percy's face, but I continued. "But other than going hanging out with you guys, I haven't done anything wrong, and all the chores or done; the house is spotless. If worse comes to worst, then Sue is a greedy person - I can always compromise, or even stall. Believe me, I've thought about this, guys."

It was quiet for a moment. Thalia stared at me long and hard.

"Annabeth, something weird as happened to you. Almost as if you've had some sort of epiphany or revelation. You're more - I don't know - optimistic? Not that it's a bad thing," she added quickly. "But I think you should think this through a little more carefully."

I started to protest, but she put her hand up to stop me.

"Listen. You, of all people, know what Sue is capable of. The worst thing to do right now with your father gone is underestimate her."

"I'm not underestimating her," I mumbled.

"Could've fooled me," she said. "But, seriously, listen. I think that you should go in by yourself, and I'll stay by the back door ready to barge in if things get ugly. Meanwhile, Percy can take the car and drive over to your dad's work place and meet us at the house. And you can try to use your stalling and compromising skills with Sue. Sound good?"

"No," Percy said immediately. "I am not going to leave her alone." Oh, great.

Thalia, seeming to know that it was no use arguing with Percy, held her hands up. "Okay, okay! I'll drive to her dad's office, and you can stay," she amended.

I understood where they were coming from. But at the same time, it annoyed me that they were making such a big deal of this. Yes, Sue is vicious, but do they really think that she would off me two days before Christmas? Not because she was feeling sentimental, but I was pretty sure my dad would notice if I wasn't there Christmas morning.

By this time, we were almost home.

Percy and Thalia grew quiet, their faces tight with determination. Even I started to tense up, anxiety finding its way into my, weaving itself through my body. Whatever calmness I'd had before was quickly diminishing, and I clenched my fists at my side.

But for just a second, before we pulled up in front of the driveway, I felt a surge of anger like never before. I shouldn't _have _to be scared to walk into my own house. I shouldn't _have _to be scared of my step-mom, and I shouldn't _have _to spend my life wondering if I'm going to make it through the next day.

And if Mom hadn't died, I wouldn't _have _to be going through any of this. But I quickly banished the thought. My mom had the biggest heart, and there was no way she could have controled whether she stayed or went. She was the strongest person I knew, and she held on longer than most people for me and Dad.

And I had to do the same, even if it was a different situation. And that's the thought that kept my head up high as I made to leave the car.

"Annabeth, hold on," Percy said. I looked over at him, and before my mind could even process what was happening, my head was in his hands and my lips were on his. He had an odd sort of desperation in the kiss, and I returned it with equal fervor. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a voice registered that this whole thing was unnecessary dramatic, but I ignored it.

Then a hand, most likely Thalia's, was shoving me out of the car, with Percy right behind me. He took my hand, squeezed it, then ran up to his house and out the back. Again with the dramatics.

I walked to the door and, with steady hands, opened it and walked in. The house was dark, and the only thing indicating that another person was inside, was the car sitting in the driveway. I felt trapped in my own home; I hated not being able to see what was around me clearly.

"Sue, I'm home!" I called softly. When I got no reply, I walked into the darkness a little more, in search of a light switch. I found it ironic that in order to find the light, you had to walk into the darkness. And not just for this situation.

My hand was just about to flick the switch on, when another hand collided into mine and rammed it into the wall. I gasped.

"Hello, Annabeth. So nice to have you home. Though you weren't supposed to be gone in the first place. What do you say to that?" Sue's evil, quiet voice spoke.

Usually, I wouldn't give in fast; my first instinct was to justify myself, and tell her that my dad said I could go. But seeing as Percy was out back, I couldn't risk using my smart mouth and make Sue even more angry.

"I am so sorry, Sue. I should have asked you first, and for not doing so, I apologize. You have every right to punish me as you see fit," I said quietly, steadily, though it pained me to say such words.

Those words are what I'm _supposed _to say when I do something wrong. Almost from the very day Sue had married my dad, she had drilled those words into me, though this was one of the few times I actually said them.

"Hmm... Looks like little Annie is finally learning. Good girl."

I almost spat out, "I'm not a dog, so don't treat me like one," but I bit my tongue. Hard.

"And as for your punishment... Step away from the wall."

"Excuse me for my interruption, but it's a little hard to step away from the wall when you are so kindly _pinning _me against it," I said as pleasantly as I could through clenched teeth.

"Was that a smart remark?" Sue asked venomously, he hand tightening around my wrist. I could feel my circulation being cut off.

"Of course not. I am just merely pointing out that what you would like me to do is impossible while you have hold of me," I said back. Oh, what I wouldn't give to punch that face of hers. But I wasn't going to stoop to her level.

"You know what? I think that _was _a smart remark. Pity. You were doing so well." And without further ado, she yanked me forward and slammed me back into the wall. My teeth dug into my tongue, and a metallic taste filled my mouth. _Mind over matter_, I reminded myself. Luckily, my back took the impact rather than my head. I was used to this enough by now that I tilted my head forward on reflex.

I gasped as pain reverberated up and down my spine, but I didn't cry out.

"Now, do what I asked you to do and step away from the wall," Sue ordered, letting go of my wrists. I walked towards the middle of the room, and stood there, feeling very exposed. I sensed Sue walking around me, circling me, like a hawk watching its prey.

She seemed to be studying me, though I didn't know how she could possibly see me.

"You puzzle me, Miss Annabeth. You are usually so rebellious. But today, you are being more... submissive, careful. And it makes me wonder... What caused that change? Why so careful now after so long of fighting back? And something else I've noticed - you're not so sensitive to physical pain, are you? Not like... others. Oh, what I wouldn't give to see inside that head of yours," she mused.

She seemed to be talking to herself more than me. I could tell she wasn't drunk. She seemed much more controlled and aware. And even scarier, she seemed intelligent.

"So," she continued, "if you're so immune to physical pain, how do you deal with emotional pain? Do you shrug it off just as you do with the first, or does it cut you deep?"

I had no idea where this was going. I didn't want to know.

"What's it like for you, growing up with a mom who abandoned you?" I tensed at her words.

"My mom didn't abandon me!" I yelled before I could stop myself. Sue just chuckled softly.

"Oh really? Then tell me why she isn't here?"

"She died of cancer. She couldn't control it," I said heatedly.

"She was weak! Your stupid mom couldn't take a little bout of cancer. How sad is that?" Sue laughed.

"She was NOT weak! She was strongest person I knew. Stronger than you," I spat.

"So help me then. If your mother was stronger than me, then why am I here and she's not?" Sue challenged.

"Because mom knew that the strongest people are the ones who can let go of the ones they love. She held on as long as she could for me, but knew she'd have to let go. She knew that having to see her sick and broken was killing my dad and I. You know nothing of strength, so don't you dare accuse my mom of not having any," I said fiercely, completely loosing my cool.

The anger and tension in the room was palpable. Sue's footsteps came closer.

"You know why I think your mom isn't here?" she whispered in my ear.

"I don't _care _why you think my mom isn't here," I spat into her face. She grabbed my hair, and yanked my head up. I held in a yelp. No need to make Percy out there have a heart attack.

"She left because she hated you. Which, of course, I don't blame her for. Who wouldn't be ashamed to have such a daughter as you? You and your dad never get along. You know why? Because he hates you. You have - what? - one friend? That Thalia girl. Everyone else hates you. You are a disgrace to the world," she said savagely.

Involuntary tears sprang into my eyes. No, I must stop them. One leaked out. I held the rest in. _She's just trying to get to you_, I reminded myself. _Don't listen to her._

But still, her words had struck a nerve, and she knew it. I wanted to wipe that oh so pleased smirk off her face.

"Ah, now I've got some response. I guess that's the trick."

A couple of things clicked into place, then. I was practically being used as a lab rat. She hated me, of that I had no doubt, but there was also something more to it. I was foolish not to have seen it before. She was using me. Torturing me in various ways and gauging my reactions, seeing what pains me most, and taking pleasure from it.

When I looked up at her shadowy face in the darkness, I saw her for what she really was.

Sick.

Truly and mentally sick.

* * *

**Eh, Annabeth was too out of character in this chapter for my liking. And I cannot apologize enough for the long wait; I've had horrid writer's block. This chapter was so hard to write, because of the writer's block, so I hope my efforts weren't pointless. I sincerely hope you guys enjoyed it! Only two more weeks of school, and then updates for all of my stories should be faster. Also, I posted my first chapter of 'Friends With Deficits' (from my poll). It's mostly going to be my Summer story, and I hope to have it done my the end of Summer Break. Please check it out! And please review and tell me what you thought! (Even if you're a guest!) **

**P.S. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SUCH LOVELY REVIEWS! :) They brighten my day considerably.**


	4. Conditions

**Hey everyone! I literally cannot apologize enough for the long wait! I feel so terrible! My only excuses are end of the school year activities, and a horrible case of writer's block. But today was the last day of school, so now I should be able to update most of my stories regularly. YAY! I've been having a little trouble with this story. It doesn't come as naturally to me as Cinderella did. I have told some of you that when I write, I completely wing it; I never really have a plan. I just let my fingers type what my mind sees. But for this, I feel like my mind is seeing a screen full of static and it's not so easy for my fingers to type what it sees. So I've spent a LOT of type chewing bubble gum, talking to myself, and rolling around on the floor trying to get the whole plot straight. And I'll be trying out a bunch of weird things for this story, such as multiple POVs, more things with the other characters, and just a bunch of weird stuff. So please just bear with me.**

**Now, I believe that I owe all my readers a MEGA THANK YOU for allowing me to have 150 reviews in 3 chapters, which is simply mind-blowing! And to have 184 follows and 105 favorites? Wow. Just - wow.**

**Oh, and I almost forgot! AN EXTRA-SPECIAL thank you to** trio-of-friends **and **xXxJaceInWonderlandxXx** for nominating 'Cinderella' for **HAWTgeek**'s Percy Jackson 2013 Awards! ;D Have a cookie! (::)**

**THANK YOU AND HAPPY READING!**

* * *

**Annabeth**

I was still reeling from the realization that Sue was psycho as I opened my eyes, afraid to see Sue's face. But when I opened them, the lights were on. And Sue was gone.

Pressing my hands to my face, I sunk down to the ground, completely hating the feeling of being so weak, so fragile... so vulnerable. Vulnerable was _not _typically an adjective used to describe me, and I certainly didn't want it to become so.

It was so hard to believe that just an hour ago, I was at the mall, deciding whether to buy and a stupid pen or not. From this perspective, it seemed foolish and trivial. Tears leaked from my eyes, but I made no move to wipe them. Maybe if I cried them all out now, there wouldn't be any left to cry later.

I had no wish to open my eyes again. I had no desire to look around at the plain, barren walls of my home - no, wait - _house. _I no longer considered this place to be my home. In my opinion, home isn't a place in particular; it is where the things you love most are. But I didn't love my house anymore - I dreaded going to it.

Soft, comforting hands wrapped around my wrists, sending volts of warmth through my body and making me feel safe. The hands carefully pried my hands away from my tear-streaked face and I let them, but I kept my eyes closed. He ever so gently pulled my onto his lap and rocked me back and forth.

Perhaps if I hadn't been so... messed up, I would have pushed him away. I wasn't the kind of person who liked - or needed - coddling. But as it so happened, I _was _messed up, so allowed myself to be overwhelmed by his warmth in the safety of his arms.

Somehow, the fact that he wasn't saying anything, wasn't saying that it would all be okay, made the moment more special as well as comforting. He wasn't one of those people who would say an empty, "Everything is going to be okay." Neither of us knew if it would be okay. But we had each other.

I don't know how long we sat there, lost in each other. It could have been only a minute, or hours, or days. Maybe it was years. But I do know that at some point, my Dad came home and found us still on the ground in each other's arms. His face registered from shock, to anger, and quickly concern as he strode over to us.

"Annabeth, honey, what's wrong? What happened? What did she do to you?" he asked in a rush. At least he was smart enough to figure out that Sue was the one who did this to me. At first, I couldn't respond. My mouth opened and then closed wordlessly.

Finally, I managed to croak out, "Dad, don't call me _honey._" Yup, that's me. Dad's worried look relaxed, if only very slightly. And Percy wore a look of mixed amusement and exasperation.

"Well, nice to know you still have your... tenacity in tact. But seriously, Annabeth, tell me what happened. Did she hurt you? Was she drunk?"

I sighed, not wanting to relive it, but knowing it was inevitable. So I reluctantly told them how I came in and Sue snuck up on me. I avoided telling them the part about her slamming my head into the wall - no need to tell them the gory details. Dad looked appalled, shocked, and pained as I told them what Sue had said to me, and Percy's arms squeezed me with considerable strength. And then I told them about my epiphany or realization or whatever you wanted to call it.

"Dad, I really think that Sue needs mental help. Something's not right with her, obviously. I mean, it doesn't excuse what she's done to me or anyone else, but..." I trailed off, not sure what to say.

My father still looked angry and concerned, but also had a thoughtful expression on his face. When I turned to look at Percy, he just looked like he wanted to straight out punch Sue in the face, mental or not.

"I see what you're saying. How are we supposed to get her to a psychiatric center though? I can't imagine we could just go up to her and be like, 'Hey, Sue! We're going on a super fun trip to a place for psychos like you! Wanna come along?'" Percy mused. I rolled my eyes.

"Obviously not. We'll have to do it sneakily. Maybe when we catch her drunk or something. I also think we should wait until after Christmas," I suggested.

"Why? Annabeth, I don't want her hurting you ever again, especially on Christmas. Do you really think she's above hurting you just because of Christmas?" Dad fretted. "I really think we should just go ahead and call the police now."

"I definitely don't think that Sue is above hurting - or even killing - me on Christmas, but I'd rather not go through all the police crap right now. And besides, you'll be with me on Christmas, anyway. And I'm sure I'll see Percy as well. Can we please just wait," I pleaded. Percy and Dad gave me hard looks.

"What I don't understand is why you, who is the one being abused, are so against reporting her. It doesn't make much sense to me. I would think that you would want her out of the way," Percy commented. I stared at him.

"Of _course _I want her gone. But I really think we can wait for two more days. What's the worse that could possibly happen?" I scoffed. Whoops, bad question to ask.

"Sue could kill you," Percy stated bluntly. This was not helping my case.

"Seriously, right after Christmas is over, you can run straight to the police station without complaint or protest from me. I promise."

What I didn't tell them, was that I wanted time to think about other things, such as the situation with Drew, which I had sort of pushed to the back of my mind. If she was really my step-sister, I still needed to figure out her family tree and whatnot, as well as Sue's family.

I looked up and noticed that Percy was staring intently at me. "I can practically see those wheels turning. What are you thinking?"

I looked up innocently. "Nothing, really. Just that I can't wait 'til this is all over. But let's just agree on telling the police after Christmas," I pleaded, trying out my most helpless, sweetest, persuasive face.

Both my dad and Percy looked at each other for a second, tense. Then, my dad's shoulders seemed to sag in defeat, and Percy rolled his eyes, also giving in. I grinned, knowing that I had won.

"Fine. But the second I wake up the day after Christmas, we're going straight to the police, you hear me?" Dad said in a completely no-nonsense voice. I nodded vigorously. "And there are a couple of conditions," he added. I rolled my eyes.

"Of course there are," I muttered. He continued on as though he hadn't heard me.

"First, you are not to be without me, Percy, or at least two of your others friends at anytime for any reason. Two, you are not to be in the house without me. If I am not home when you get home from where ever, you either head to Thalia's house or head on over to Percy's. Next, if for whatever reason you are out hanging with your friends and Sue calls you and demands you to come home, you _do not _listen to her. Call me, because I will have my phone on regardless of whether I am working or not. And lastly, absolutely do not be in the same room with Sue alone, because if you get killed by her, I swear I will kill you," he finished. I rolled my eyes.

"Hmm... that 'if you get killed, I will kill you' part was a little redundant, don't you think?"

My dad just sighed. "Annabeth..." he warned.

"Yes, yes, I agree with your terms. Jeez, do you want me to write them down or type them up and then sign it or something?" I asked sarcastically. Dad's eyes got a funny look in them.

"That's a great idea! I'll do that now," he said.

"Holy crap, Dad, I was being _sarcastic! _I promise I'll stick to the rules, okay?" I said hurriedly. He looked me in the eye, and I stared steadily back. Finally, he seemed reassured that I would abide by his conditions.

"Okay. Now, I have no idea where Sue went, but let's just go ahead and make dinner. I don't know about you guys, but I am starving," Dad said, standing up and stretching. Whoa, talk about a mood swing. "Percy, you'll stay for dinner, won't you?"

Percy hesitated, helping me to my feet. "Um, are you sure it's okay?"

"Of course it is! I owe you for being here for my daughter. Come one! How does green beans, potatoes, and good old-fashioned cream soda floats sound to you guys?"

Percy was practically drooling; I laughed and smacked him on the back of his head.

"Sounds good!" we exclaimed in unison.

We all started piling towards the kitchen, when my father stopped for a second and looked at me.

"Annabeth?"

"Yes, Dad?"

"You know that none of the things Sue told you are true, right? Your mom loved you. She would do anything for you, and that's why she refused to go on chemotherapy. She didn't want to spend her last months sick in bed. She wanted to spend them with you. She was the strongest person I knew. Just like my little girl," he said softly.

Tears filled my eyes at his words.

"Thank you, Dad. She loved you, too. And so do I," I said back. I stepped forward, and he wrapped me in a sweet embrace.

Right there, right then, with Percy and my dad, the two people that I loved most, I felt like for the first time in a long while, I could call this place home.

* * *

**Nico**

The guys and I left the mall soon after Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia did. All of us were silent, filled with worry for our friends.

After I was dropped off at my house - more like shack - we all texted back and forth, trying to figure out what was happening with Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia.

I walked into my small shack, looking around the run-down place. Beer bottles were all over the place, both whole and shattered. Dirty laundry was sprawled all over the floor and couches. Walking down the hall, I peered into my father's room, and was welcomed with the sight of him sleeping on the floor, greasy black hair hanging around his shallow, pale face.

That was what I came home to everyday. I sighed and quietly closed the door, and slipped away to clean up the mess left in the living room. I put on some thick, leather gloves, and threw basically everything into a big trash bag.

As I was sifting through shards of broken glass, I found a thin piece of paper laying face down on the floor. I picked it up and flipped it over, my heart dropping as I did so.

The picture was of my father and mother on the day of their wedding, smiling oh so happily. It was one of my favorite pictures. My father was grinning broadly as he gazed down lovingly at Marie. His face, though still pale, was joyful and quite full of life.

My mother, of course, looked every part an angel, her face alight and also full of color and life. So different from what she was now. Now, she was half dead, hardly even able to sip a drink from a straw. Her face is now drained of all it's beautiful color, hollowed out from months in a hospital bed, still balancing on that delicate line between life and death.

I worked for a couple of hours, though I knew that by tomorrow evening, it would be in the same shape. Halfway through my cleaning, I got a reassuring text from Percy, telling everybody that all was okay, and that he was having dinner with the Chases. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous.

I hadn't had dinner with anyone in a long time. Actually, I hadn't really had dinner much at all, relying on the lunches at school to feed me. Father could never cook, and he was never around to eat, anyway. Like now, he was usually asleep. Of course.

Don't get me wrong - I loved my father; he'd been through a rough time. I just resented him for leaving me to cope with things on my own, instead of giving me strength. But I tried to shrug those feelings off. After all, I am Nico di Angelo. I don't need help from anyone else. But it would sure be nice to get it.

I vaguely wondered what I would do for Christmas. Everyone else would be with their families, but I didn't really have much of a family anymore. Father would probably get drunk, so I guessed I would spend the day alone in the hospital with Mother.

It might be my last Christmas with her. Nobody said it, or even mentioned it, but I knew that there was little to no chance of my mother recovering.

I was just settling down in my room, when my phone started to buzz frantically. I quickly pulled it out, figuring that it was probably Percy, Thalia, or one of the guys. I answered it.

"Hello, this is Nico!" I said cheerily. One of my many talents.

"Nico," said a grave voice. I froze. "Nico, this is Dr. Solace. I think you should come to the hospital. Now. Your mother's condition has changed."

And then the line went dead.

* * *

**Um... not so sure how I did, especially on Nico's part. I know that this chapter might have dragged some, but I guess it was just more of a filler. Nico's part is quite hard for me, seeing as he's a guy and I'm a girl. Also, he acts one way on the outside, but is a lot darker on the inside, which is kinda hard to portray so... I promise I tried my best. Now that SCHOOL IS OVER (WHOOHOOO!) I should have time to update a lot more! THANK YOU so much for the support I got for 'Friends With Deficits'! That's awesome! YOU guys are awesome! Again, I'm sorry if this chapter disappointed anyone, and I always try my best! I'll be updating WAY faster now, though! Pretty please review and tell me your thoughts on this; I also want to be sure people are still reading this!**

**Also, I apologize especially to the guests, because they don't have the option to alert this story, so thank you for being patient with me! And has anyone heard of the new movie coming out on May 31 called 'Now You See Me'? I am SO going!**

**P.S. Sorry for the extremely long author's notes today; I'm feeling very happy and talkative now that school's over. Sorry for not doing shout outs, but I don't have the time to do it right now; I'll try to do it tomorrow!**

**P.P.S. Again, so sorry for the long wait! Please forgive me! LOVE Y'ALL! And please REVIEW! (Even if you're a guest! :)**


	5. Pink

**Hey guys! My only excuse for taking so long to update is pretty bad family problems and horrible writer's block. I'm actually feeling pretty down right now, so just bear with me here. First thing: THANK YOU for how far you have gotten me. No words can express my thanks. I was in need of a little inspiration so I went back and read my reviews for Cinderella again. I just felt like crying. Second, I have no idea how long this story is gonna be. This is so hard to write, and I regret starting it, but I WILL finish it to the best of my ability. I will NOT quit. But just please don't get mad at me if this is not up to par, or if I take longer. I love you guys!**

**And THANK YOU for getting me to 191 REVIEWS! It means everything to me!**

**Also, Rachel's POV is super hard for me, so I'm really sorry if you hate this chapter.**

**Happy Reading!**

* * *

**Rachel**

I groaned to myself. Worrying about Annabeth and then having to go shopping with her nemesis is _not_ something someone should have to go through in one day. I mean, seriously, my heart just can't take that kind of strain!

I slipped a new pair of jeans on and donned my red jacket and knee-length boots. Then I went into the bathroom to put on some much-needed makeup. And not because I looked bad, but because of that stupid son of a b - _calm down, Rachel_, I thought to my self. Let's just say it was because of my father and leave it at that, shall we?

The doorbell rang and I ran downstairs to get it. Standing on the other side of the door was Drew, in all her glory and, um, pinkness. And don't even tell me that's not a word, because when it comes to Drew, it is.

Like, seriously, I'm not even joking or exaggerating it when I say Drew over did the pinkness. Her hair was pulled back and tied with a pink bandana (no doubt to protect her hair if it started snowing), she wore a tight pink shirt. I'll be the first to say that Drew should _not _wear tight shirts. Her skinny jeans were a hot pink, and her feet wore a pair of light pink UGGs. Oh, yeah, and I forgot to mention her tie-dyed pink purse. I hadn't even known those existed!

"Hey! Come on, let's hurry up and get to the mall! I've got some serious shopping to do," Drew said excitedly. Truthfully, I just wanted to go lay down and take a nap.

Instead I called behind me into the house, "'Bye, Mom! I'm leaving with Drew!" I sighed when I got no response, and I closed the door behind me.

We got into the car, Drew instantly started chatting my ear off, staring down at her phone. "OMG, Kelci just texted me, and told me that Logan McCormick from the Senior football team is at the mall _right now!_" She squealed the last part. Keeping up the façade, I squealed along with her.

"What?! No. Way. He is so hot!" I inwardly cringed at how girly that sounded as I maneuvered the car through traffic.

"I know right?! He is so in love with me. Like, I'm not even joking. At school the other day, he was walking past me in the hall, and I dropped my books, right? So you know what he did?!"

_Turned and ran away? Yeah, I'd do that, too_, I thought to myself. I may not have completely _despised _Drew before, but after seeing what she's done to Annabeth and all that, I could hardly stand to be around her. But we'd all agreed it would be a good idea for me to keep up the act a little longer, because I might have been able to get more information.

"No, what?!" I asked, pretending to be excited.

"HE HELPED ME PICK THEM UP!" she squealed/shouted. I startled me, and I slammed on my brakes, nearly causing the car behind to crash into us. Whoops. I felt better when I saw that Drew's pink (of course) sunglasses - who the hell wears sunglasses in the middle of winter? - had been knocked off her head.

"Hey, watch what you're doing!" Drew snapped. I resisted the urge to drive into a wall and _then _see what she says. But then logic came in and reminded me I would probably be killed in the process.

"I'm sorry. I just... uh... lost control for a moment. So, you were talking about Logan?" I prompted, hoping she'd fall for the change of subject. She did, like the pathetic little man wh- I mean, _boy-crazy _creep she was.

"Well, rumor has it, he really likes me, too, and is going to ask me out. So maybe if we see him we can..." and then proceeded to ramble on about her plan to inconspicuously walk by him over and over until he noticed her or whatever. It was all very juvenile, so I just blocked her out.

I wondered if Dad was going to be home for Christmas or not. Usually he was at meetings. On Christmas Day. "Work before family," he would always say. When I was younger, those words always tore at my heart, but now I would cross my fingers and hope that he wouldn't come home.

A lot of people wouldn't understand why I didn't tell anybody what my dad did to me. The sad truth of it? I still loved him. Obviously, I didn't love that he abused me, but no amount of hurt could erase the memories of him sitting me on his lap and telling me stories. I couldn't forget the way he would stand me on his toes and waltz me around the room.

I'm not sure what had changed since then, though. Being rich, maybe. Or perhaps it was the stress of his job. Or maybe I was just making excuses for him in my head, and I was too blind to see the real reason behind it.

"Rachel, hurry up and get out!" Drew complained. I had hardly realized that I'd parked the car already. I quickly hopped out of the car, Drew not even bothering to wait for me.

"Oh, thanks for waiting up for me. Don't mind me, even though I drove you here," I mumbled savagely to myself. I sighed and ran to catch up with her.

"So what do you think I should get Logan for Christmas?" Drew asked, scanning the stores and then walking into Victoria Secrets. I looked at her incredulously. The guy didn't even really know her.

"Why don't you just get him some perfume?" I joked, pointed to a shelf of said item. She just looked at me blankly.

"And why would I do that? Logan is a guy! He's not gonna wear perfume. God, Rachel, sometimes you are just so thick!"

Wow. What. A. Ditz. She hadn't gotten the joke at all. And she called _me _thick!? I just rolled my eyes and huffed, wanting to be anywhere but here. I went and sat on a bench while she sifted through the racks. My phone vibrated, and I whisked it out, grateful for the distraction.

_Any1 heard from Nico? He's been kinda silent... -Leo_

We all had this thing on our phones where we had a sort of chatroom. We'd been chatting for the last two hours after being reassured by Percy and Annabeth that everything was okay for now. But after that, no one had heard a word from Nico, which was kind of worrying, since he was _always _messaging people.

_Nope. Try Bianca, or just call his cell. ~Annabeth_

"You know, you've seemed kinda weird lately," Drew commented suddenly from where she was looking at the rack. I looked up from the phone.

"Um... thanks?" I said hesitantly. This wasn't sounding good. If Drew found out or already knew...

"It wasn't a compliment," Drew said harshly. Like I didn't know that. "What I mean," she continued, "is that you are a very distracted lately. A lot more distant from me."

Damn. The ditz was more observant than I thought. I decided to go with the 'What are you talking about?' approach.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't noticed. I've just got a lot on my plate right now with stuff going on at home." It wasn't a complete lie.

Just then, my phone buzzed again.

_Bianca must have her phone off cuz it goes straight to voicemail. ~Piper_

_Nico won't answer his phone. Do u think they're ok? -Frank_

I was pulled out of the cyber world by Drew's mirthless laugh. "Seriously?! Jeez, you're family problems are, like, nothing compared to what I've gone through."

I tensed, seething with anger. How _dare _she even think that?! She had absolutely no idea what it's like to go through what I have. I was about to voice that, but stopped myself, thinking that she might let slip some valuable information about her home life.

"I mean, it just sucks to me. People like you just don't understand how lucky you are for what you have."

_Poor little rich girl... _What I wouldn't have done to toss her into a rack and suffocate her with clothes. Actually, scratch that; that'd probably be the best way to die, in her opinion. As long as the clothes were pink.

"Like, seriously, do you know how horrible it was when my mom and dad divorced?! It ripped my heart in two!" she cried dramatically. "And then, of course, my mom totally ditched me for that - " She cut herself short.

Meanwhile, I was on high alert. Drew had never talked about her parent's divorce. The only thing she'd ever said concerning her family was that they were rich.

"She ditched me for that other family," she said, though I knew that wasn't what she was about to say.

"What family did she remarry to? I forgot," I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. I knew I was treading dangerous waters.

"I haven't really told anyone. It hurts too much to talk about." You have got to be kidding me. When she looked away, I rolled my eyes.

I _do _feel for her when it comes to having divorced parents; I know it must be tough. But that doesn't mean she should go around saying that I haven't gone through hard things either. But I decided to take this as an opportunity to dig deeper.

"Maybe it will help to talk to someone about it. You know you can trust me," I said soothingly.

She sniffled. "Well, I mean, it is just so hard, ya know? To go around every single day and see the person who is part of the family my mom ditched me for."

I stood up and put a hand on her shoulder as if in comfort. "Who?" I asked gently.

"Annabeth, of course," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. I was pretty taken aback by her openness.

"So that's why you hate her so much?" I pried.

"Yeah, that and she stole Percy from me." I wanted to point out to her that she never even _had _Percy, but I figured it probably wasn't the best time to do so.

"I'm sorry. That must be horrible!" Wow, either I was a really good actress, or Drew was extremely oblivious.

"I know. But it doesn't matter anymore. I've been in contact with my mom lately. And I'm about to get payback for all of this, anyway. Call it a Christmas gift to Annabeth, if you must." She grinned a cold, heartless smile that raised hairs on the back of my neck. I had to be sure to warn them that something bad was going to happen to her on Christmas.

I smiled along with her, trying to keep the tension out. My phone went off again. I nearly dropped it when I saw the message.

_I finally found out what happened. It's Nico's mom. She's dead. -Percy_

* * *

**Sorry for the short, boring chapter! But I'm going away to horse camp, so I won't be able to update for awhile unless the hotel has wi-fi and I get enough time. I had to give y'all something. **

**A couple of things: Please chack out my profile. I have a section that tells what's going on with all of my stories that I think you'll find helpful. Next, I will be putting out a poll that I REALLY need you guys to vote on. And have you guys seen the House of Hades cover art yet? It's the wallpaper for my phone! Also, someone asked me why cancer and abuse is a recurring theme in my stories. My mom had cancer, and my friend was abused. And why isn't anyone on FanFiction?! Like, I've been so lonely with no one PMing me. :( And people don't view stories much anymore. Can you please check out and maybe review the first part of my 3 shot 'The Nature of Stars'? That'd be greatly appreciated!**

**Fun fact: The OCs in my stories are really good friends of mine! Or even me. ;) Oh, and I saw Now You See Me. AWESOME MOVIE!**

**Can you guys pretty please review? I REALLY wanna know what you think. *insert really adorable and completely irresistable puppy dog face* Please? Even if you're a guest! **


	6. I'M SO SORRY!

**Hey guys. Please, please, please don't get mad at me, because I love y'all with all my heart! I really do! And I KNOW you guys are going to hate me for making this an author's note. But I REALLY need to talk to you about something.**

**From the first chapter, I have felt that this story wasn't right. I haven't felt comfortable with it, and a lot of you have noticed it just in my writing. The thing about Cinderella was that every feeling, every thought was real in the sense that I felt it too. Maybe I should explain this differently. Annabeth felt sad and alone at some parts but happier in others. And I remember some of you guys telling me that you could feel her emotions. I think a part of it was because, at the time, I was also feeling those things, which enabled me to write those feelings very realistically. Make sense? No? ...I tried. :(**

**I'm going to be honest with you. I started Breaking Free for two reasons: 1) So many of you wanted a sequel. One of my weaknesses (and, in some cases, strength) is the inability to say no. I become guilted by the smallest of things. And 2) Reviews. Yes, I was that selfish. I became drunk by them, when, in truth, my writing isn't all that amazing. They were a drug, and I constantly craved more, and I had a feeling that Freaking Free would get me more.**

**And then these things at home (aka life) started being horrible to me, and writing (and reviews especially) seemed very insignificant to me. I drowned myself in books. Words are beautiful and they should be used to form a work of art. They shouldn't be used for reviews. You should feel happy that you wrote a good piece, whether you get a huge reception or not. **

**I know that you all will think very little of me after this, and I deserve it. But the point to all this is that Breaking Free is not real to me anymore. It is not a vent to let out my feelings, and it holds no meaning to me.**

**So, I have a proposal to make.**

**I agree with the best author ever (aka John Green) that writers and readers have an unspoken contract, and by not finishing this story, I would break that contract. But I also feel that if I were to keep writing the story, even if it wasn't for reviews, it would break the contract, because I'm not putting my heart into it. And I think to myself,"Why should you guys take the time to read this when I haven't even put my heart into it?" It doesn't seen fair.**

**And then I think about that contract. So what if the story never started?**

**What if I went back into Cinderella and tied up loose ends? **

**What if I completely rewrote each and every chapter of Cinderella? Because I know for a fact that my writing has changed and gotten better since the day I started and finished Cinderella. I could add more details, more thoughts and feelings, more things to explain why each character did what.**

**Also, I want to try to make my writing a little more intellectual and metaphorical, thanks to the brilliant John Green. Metaphors used in context fascinate me to no end.**

**So, my proposal:**

**I can completely forget about Breaking Free. BUT, I can re-write Cinderella as said above.**

**OR, I can push on and write a story that I don't enjoy writing, but I could do my very best to write it good, but cut it short. But I will keep writing it if the majority of you guys so wish.**

**Wow... that's a pretty pathetic proposal, huh? **

**Another thing I want to mention:**

**I have a feeling that I am about to get several rude reviews about how I'm only writing this AN to get more reviews etc. etc. I AM NOT, okay? My life is like a living hell right now, and I could be doing much more than taking time out of it to write this. I don't want anymore reviews from you guys. You guys have practically given me the world, and to ask for more would be selfish. If you feel so inclined to answer my proposal, but feel that leaving a review would in some way reward me, then by all means, send me a private message, and I would be more than happy to discuss the matter via PM.**

**If you wouldn't read a rewrite of Cinderella, then THAT IS OKAY! :) You read it the first time, and that alone means the world to me. But if you would read it (and I would have a LOT of loose ends and questions tied up), please tell me through PM or review or whatever. I'll be on here a lot the next few days, so PMs will be answered quickly.**

**And I wanted to write a clip of the next chapter just to appease you guys, because I know how horrible it is when you've been waiting forever for a story to be updated, but it turns out to be an AN instead, but seeing as I don't even know if I'm continuing this anymore, I figured it would be unfair to give you guys false hope.**

**Most of you hate me right now. That's okay. Because I still think that each and every one of you are AMAZING! Thank you for everything. I'm sorry for this. I really am. I am literally sobbing right now. Thank you!**

**Love always,**

**~HCG13**

**P.S. I think I may also be deleting Just Around the Corner (it is WAY too cliche for my liking), Letting Go (I discovered HunterofArtemis32's story, Pain/Agony, and figured she can write it much better than I), and Starting Over (which is also one of my older works that I currently despise). Thanks for your understanding.**


	7. My Decision

**Hello, all of you amazing, perfect, lovely people! You guys are epic! The support I got... just wow. I expected a bunch of angry reviews and stuff... instead, I got a couple story favs/follows and author favs/follows. Every time you guys would say something supportive, the first thought that went through my head was "WHAAAT?" The point: I LOVE YOU!**

**As you can tell, I'm in a much better mood today (tonight?). Truth be told, it's because I feel like a HUGE weight has been lifted off of me. For the past few weeks, I've been absolutely devastated by just about everything in life, and I feel like I let everyone in my life down. I can never please my family enough, and I can't ever be everything my friends want me to be. So having to tell you guys that I couldn't finish this nearly killed me.**

**Several of you said you care more about my well-being than the story. Each time I read that, I cried. I'm not even joking. I really did. How am I doing? I'm sucking at life. My favorite horse is dying, my brother is moving across the continent on Sunday, we may be selling our house, I may have to give up my half-lease on a horse named John Wayne, and I'm entering 8th grade, which, frankly, is kinda terrifying to me. BUT I have you guys. I have God, my dogs, I have riding lessons, I have friends, OMG I HAVE BOOKS, and I have FANFICTION!**

**OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG, GUESS WHAT I JUST FOUND OUT?! Well, those of you who have read my profile know that I have 6 sisters and 4 brothers. WE ARE ADOPTING 3 MORE CHILDREN! I won't be the youngest anymore! :D :D**

**Anywho, let me get to the point of this A/N. I have decided to rewrite Cinderella. A majority of you guys want that, but I'm not doing it because I feel pressured to. I would never have proposed the idea to y'all if I had not thought it through long and hard. Some of you don't want me to rewrite it. Let me assure that it will be almost exactly like the original, but with better words, longer paragraphs (more details), and no loose ends.**

**Some of you want me to continue this story. I am SO SORRY! I won't delete this story, because there's a chance that one day I'll get the inspiration to come back to it.**

**I'm not sure that it's legal or following the site rules to post a new version of Cinderella without deleting my original. Sadly, I'm going to delete it. BUT, thanks to the EPIC new Recovery button, if I decide I hate the new version, I can bring back the old! :)**

**Also, I've been reading a lot of John Green stuff, especially his FAQ page for The Fault In Our Stars, because his answers are very intellectual and thought-provoking. The point: reading that stuff makes me feel like my writing is complete crap in comparison. The point of the point: I'm going to do a rewrite of Cinderella, then finish up In My Shoes and The Nature of Stars and whatever else, and then I'm off to FictionPress. Maybe... who knows. I'm kinda bipolar, so by tomorrow, I may think that FictionPress isn't worth my time or something. Who knows...**

**But I have a FictionPress account under the same name as this, and I've posted, but I'm deleting because those are very old posts. I'm working on a story now that I'll have posted who knows when.**

**ANYWHO, the next month or so is going to be hectic for me on this site, so be prepared for a LOT of Cinderella updates starting either today or tomorrow!**

**Again, infinity thank yous to everyone! And a special shout out to xXxJaceInWonderlandxXx and JR (Guest). I love y'all and I'm sorry for all this trouble. I really truly am, and I will be replying to all the PMs I got. I didn't expect so many, so I was kinda overwhelmed! THANK YOU!**

**Love Always,**

**~HCG13**

**P.S. I really am sorry.**


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